Monday, January 24, 2011

Curious Goods

I do have some of my own projects going on but this week I discovered Switch Modern. I've been a bit distracted with.... well whatever the internet equivalent of window shopping is.
This is the Hand Hook - Bestow
by Harry Allen for Areaware


Entomo Black - Fine Bone China
by Monica Tsang for The New English


Sunday, December 19, 2010

Some recent school work

To me it seems as if I just made the previous post a few weeks ago. This semester was busy. I did keep 2 out of 3 promises though. I'll get back into the swing of this blogging over the holidays.
Notebook: 10 sheets of notebook paper for different traits
Talkative, Smart, Destructive, Tall, Messy
Hyper, 4-Eyes, Distant, Complicated, Confused

4 Black squares depicting: Order, Bold, Tension, Congestion

Sounds Like Illustration: Nails on a Chalk Board

Sounds Like Illustration: Banshee

Cliche Illustration

Icon - Symbol Set: Chair, Umbrella stand, Bar Cart, Wardrobe



Monday, August 16, 2010

There is a secret group of people who controls EVERYTHING in your life. They call themselves graphic designers.

It's been quite some time since I was blogging regularly. Be that as it may Google Blogger, I remembered my password and you don't have a choice but to take me back.

There is something I have never told anyone before and Google Blogger, in my long awaited return I want to share my secret insecurity with you. I am horribly afraid of failure so much so that it has sincerely ruined many things for me. I reflect and spend an obscene amount of time trying to discover my style and talent. What I've decided is maybe my work isn't special. Maybe I can't deliver anything any other designer couldn't, but I'm really good at talking and acquiring the things I need. What I'm trying to say is, I may just be the behind the scenes person. Coming from a former community theater actress with several lead roles, that was very difficult to admit to myself. But there it is. I read that several times just now and felt compelled to nod my head at my self. This is what it comes down to, the brilliant artists and designers I admire have a talent for creating things we need and/or desire. Behind all of these things, whether it's the cozy, affordable IKEA chair I'm reclined in as I tap away on my MacBook or Sargent's Madam X hanging in the Met, there is someone(s) that made those things available to us. I am more like that person than Sargent.
So life course, I found my true passion and narrowed in on my target. But what to do with this fear of failure? When I have come to my 80% in progress something shuts down. Every project is anti-climatic. I've been working through these issues and I think I am prepared to conquer this. I lack discipline and structure but I know to get what I want I have to come out on top. To keep myself on course I've decided to do three simple things:
1. Draw Daily  no matter what it is, to keep my hand in shape. I cramped in my foundations review BAD but what else would you expect from someone who hadn't drawn anything other than holiday cards in 14 months (that's pretty embarrassing to admit)
2. Study Daily  Resources for artists, illustrators, and designers of all types are plentiful. I'm currently reading "Graphic Artists Guild Handbook Pricing and Ethical Standards" twelfth edition.
3. Share Weekly I will be searching for people, places and things to critique and post them here

I've spent the past year quietly observing, anxious, frustrated, and creatively speaking uninspired. I've moped around obsessing over where I was going with this whole graphic design thing (aside from the obvious finishing my degree), feeling pathetic, hating my work, my laziness and my self loathing. I let go and focused on other aspects of my life. Not that I haven't had a terrific year, because it's been awesome. Traveling was involved. My boyfriend and I visited the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, the Kimbell Art Museum, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Crow Collection of Asian Art, the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas at Austin, and the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. This has become our thing. While each of these dates were special, romantic and healthy for our relationship, thinking back to these visits collectively- the first thing that crosses my mind is how much $ I witnessed. Today I have fully accepted and embraced the business behind it all. I now have to work harder than I ever worked before, to finish my degree and learn all I can so I can make money.



Tuesday, October 6, 2009

oh my.

While I was complaining about work (day job) related situations I realized I've been letting those things I don't honestly care about get under my skin far too easily. I worked through my thoughts and concluded if I were actually spending time doing something other than my day job, I would care about those other things and wouldn't be thinking about work once I clocked out. I simultaneously became aware of how very little I have focused on my passions the past few months. So I'm back :) not that blogging is necessarily a passion but this blog is focused on design, art and creativity. Starting it was originally a way to procrastinate building my design website but in the past it was very helpful to remind me to keep my passions in my day to day life.
I don't have much of a comeback blog for you, but I will share this site I discovered today.

Also, I am admitting my embarrassment for my utter laziness. This blog was started just a little more than a year ago, which means my website has been procrastinated for nearly two years. Seriously pathetic.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Never Can Say Goodbye

I just started my post series of dedications to my creative influences through out the years and to be completely honest, Michael Jackson was on the list before he passed. I still listen to MJ on a weekly basis. My mother had me in 1985 when she was 22 and I actually grew up watching MTV with her. I developed a taste in music very early. My first favorite video...


My favorite coworker is a 76 year old woman named Marie. This morning she shared a story with me about seeing MJ perform with the Jackson 5 at the Oklahoma City Civic Center.

Because MJ will have millions of tributes to him over the next few weeks I am going to write much less about him than I intended. Already I have heard negativity towards us fans. I just want to say that despite all the controvercies, no one can deny the world of music and entertainment has suffered a tremendous loss. His impact was so great, his shoes will never be filled.



Thursday, May 28, 2009

Dr. Seuss


I'm revisiting some of my earliest creative influences/idols. First up is Dr. Seuss. My all time favorite animation of his stories is "The Lorax" with "The Hooberbloob Highway" a close second.
Seuss was socially relevant, colorful, imaginative and enjoyable for all ages. To me, he is timeless. I had an idea to do a Seuss inspired cityscape for a design project this year. I didn't have the time to do what I originally envisioned but it is definitely a project in my to-do list. While I was browsing Seuss images for this idea I stumbled across something that blew my mind. I knew Seuss was an illustrator aside from just a children's author but I had no idea he did political cartoons. Check out the links , enjoy the cartoon and I hope it brings you the same warm nostalgic feelings it brought me.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Monday bonus post


This is a painting I did in 2006. I had it framed and gifted it to my mom. It hangs in her hallway.